
FILE PHOTO: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is welcomed by President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation on the occasion of an official dinner in honor of Heads of State and-Government. PICTURE: GCIS
PRETORIA: Mr Ramaphosa on Wednesday evening held another telephone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said.
Russia’s UrduPoint News and Sputnik news agencies reported on Wednesday that the two leaders, who belong to Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) bloc, discussed developmental and bilateral relations.
In a statement by the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin will receive a delegation of several African heads of state in the near future. It further indicated that discussions also focused on the second Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg at the end of July and the upcoming BRICS Summit in Johannesburg in August, but provided no further details, including whether Putin would attend in person.
A statement from the Presidency on Tuesday indicated that President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa hosted a discussion with his 5 African counterparts who agreed to engage with both Mr Putin and Ukraine’s president, Mr Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the elements for a ceasefire and a lasting peace in the region.
“The topical issues of further development of the bilateral strategic partnership were discussed,” read a statement from the Kremlin.
The leaders touched on the African initiative to settle the Ukrainian conflict. This is not the first time that Mr Ramaphosa has spoken to Mr Putin. He has also spoken to Mr Zelensky since the war broke out in February 2022.
Last month, it was reported that during a phone call between Mr Ramaphosa and Mr Zelensky, the latter warned Mr Ramaphosa against “arming the aggressor”.
“I spoke about the peace formula, about justice and that our world should be united by the rules of international law. Anyone who helps the aggressor with a weapon will be an accomplice, with all the consequences,” Mr Zelensky said.
“I called on Mr President [Ramaphosa] to join together with other countries, all continents and Africa to work to implement our peace formula.”
Mr Zelensky was referring to allegations that arms had been loaded onto a Russian ship, the Lady R, in Simon’s Town. Mr Ramaphosa has instituted an inquiry to establish the facts.
Speaking on the sidelines of a state visit by Portugal’s Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Tuesday, international relations minister Naledi Pandor said the programme for the Ukraine visit was ready and the Russian programme was being finalised.
Ms Pandor, who is one of the leaders organising the “road to peace” journey, confirmed on Tuesday that she and her counterparts will be advancing to Kyiv, Ukraine, to start preparing for negotiations with Zelensky and Putin, in a bid to bring a negotiated end to the war.
“We are working on logistics. A train journey has to be undertaken from Poland to Kyiv and we have to ensure is both comfortable and secure for the seven African heads of state.
“We will be going early as foreign ministers next week to be part of the advance team so that when the seven arrive all arrangements will be in place,” she said.
Mr Ramaphosa confirmed on Tuesday that his counterparts were ready to undertake the journey in mid-June.